Method of making inlaid linoleum or the like



Dec. 19, 1933. J. A. PHELAN METHOD OF MAKING INLAID LINOLEUM OR THE LIKE Filed June 22, 1929 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 19, 1933 METHOD OF MAKING INLAl'D THE John A. Phelan,

Armstrong Cork LINOLEUM 0R LIKE Lancaster, 2a., assignor to Company, Lancaster, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania v Application June 22, 1929. Serial No. 372,869

17 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of inlaid linoleum or the like, and particularly to linoleums having diiierent design elements lying at different levels; An example of such linoleum is a tile pattern having portions representing tile interliners depressed below the general top plane of the material. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for applying inlays to a backing accurately and at high speeds,

The rotary type of machine for making straight line inlaid linoleum is wellknown in the art. It comprises essentially a drum about which a backing material travels, and die rolls arranged around the drum and adapted to cut webs of linoleum mix into pattern elements and scrap, discharge the scrap, and apply the pattern elements to the backmg. e

Great care is required in setting the machines so as to make certain that'the pattern elements applied by the several die rolls will lie in proper registry. I provide a plurality of rotary machines which cperatesuc cessively on the material and apply pattern elements of different thickness thereto. Themachines are properlysynchronized and provision is made for securing both longitudinal and transverse registry. In this manner pattern elements, for example the interliners of a tile pattern, may be applied by the first rotary machine, and other pattern elements of diiferent thickness, say those representing the tiles in a tile pattern, may be applied by a subsequent machine. Provision is made for calendering'the material between machines and also at the end of the operation. 7 v e The backing employed isusually burlap or the like, and I provide for initially applying a mix coat which fills the interstices of the burlap and makes it relatively hard and unyielding. It is subjected to tremendous compression during the application of the mix coat and substantially all of the stretch is removed therefrom. By reason of this preliminary coating operation the ma-' chines, once properly registered with one another, will continue to apply the pattern elements to the burlap in proper registry longitudinally of the material.

I may also use a backing comprising a saturated felt web, such as is used in the manufacture of felt base floor coverings, having a coating of paint-like material thereon, such for example as an alkyd resin paint comprising parts ethylene glycol, 3 to 7 parts di-ethylene'glycol, 8 to 13 parts glycerin, 'parts phthalic anhydride, and about 30 parts of drying oil fatty acids. This alkyd resin base as disclosed in a copending application of Ernest J. Pieper, Serial No. 371,686, filed June 17, 1929, may be formed by heating the above 7 ingredients to to C. until the desired reaction and condensation takes place. This alkyd resin base may be dissolved in ethylene glycol mono ethyl ether, or similar low boiling solvents and appiied in a somewhat paint-like form to the base. It has the advantage of being a good sealing agent for the saturated felt and gives a good bond betweenthe' overlying pattern elements and the base web.

If desired, a regular linoleum-like mix coat may be ap ed to the felt. I have found that a coat of this typeas thin as .015 of an inch is effective for the purpose of bonding the pattern elements with a saturated felt base; I prefer that the base have a sealing coat on it as is customary in the floor covering manufacture.

' 'The' calenders employ rubber blankets and there is a tendency for this'blanket to creep sidewise. The material tries to follow the blanket, and therefore as this blanket wanders back and forth the goods will tend to do the same thing. I overcome this by adjusting the material sidewise after it leaves the calender of tl e first rotary machine but before it reaches the next rotary machine inthe set-up. I preferably employ a dip or loop of material between rotary machines and means, such as a pointer, for indicating the A man amount of sidewise travel. watching this pointer can, by pul ing sidewise on the material, correct any tendency for it to travel sidewise, thus securing the desired lateral registry.

In the, accompanying drawing illustrating the present preferred embodiment of myinvention,-

Figure l is a side elevation largely diagrammatic illustrating the several rotary machines and calenders employed;

. "Figure 2 is a partial front elevationqf the material as it travels over a roll forming the dip or loop wherein lateral adjustment is obtained; Figure 3 is a detail view showing the adjustment of one of the die rolls;

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the material after it leaves the first rotary machine; and

Figure 5 is a'similar view showing the material after it leaves the second rotary machine.

The unit illustrated in the drawing comprises rotary machines indicated generallyby the reference characters 2 and 3, and calenders l and 5. Each rotary machine'is provided with a large drum, as shown, having die rolls 6 arranged tli'erearound; These dierolls are of the type well known in the art and need no extended description. They are effective for taking webs W of linoleum mix, cutting the same into pattern elements and scrap, discharging the scrap, and applying the pattern elements to a backing B. The linoleum webs are formed in the calender 7 and are supplied to the die rolls on belts 8.

The backing-employed is usually burlap. It is first passed through a calender 9 where a mix coat is applied. As a specific example the burlap supplied may be about .045 thick including the backing paint, and the calender applies approximately one pound of mix coat material per square yard. After this operation the coated burlap gauges .038". The burlap with its backing paint weighs one and one-half pounds per square yard, whereas after mix coating it weighs two and one-half pounds per square yard but is thinner. This mix coat operation makes the material quite hard and unyielding and removes all stretch therefrom.

The mix coated material passes over a guide roll 10 and thence around the drum of the rotary machine 2. After leaving the drum it travels from a guide roller 11 to the calender 4. This calender comprises a drum and a rubber blanket 12 provided with backing rolls 13. The mix coat renders the backing material tacky and the pattern elements adhere readily thereto. Figure 4 shows pattern elements 'Pl suchpas are applied by the rotary machine 2. The material on leaving the calender 4 is firmly bonded with the base web.

.The backing with I thereon travels from the calender 4 over a roll 14 and thence into a dip or loop 15. This dip is formed by passing the material downwardly and then upwardly between the roll 14 and a similar roll 16 and placing a light roll 17 in the loop thus formed. From the roll 16 the material travels over a roll 18 to the drum of the rotary machine 3.

No matter how carefully the machine is adjusted the blanket 12 of the calender 4 will tend to wander sidewise and the material will move with it. I provide a pointer 19 above the roll 16 and a workman, by watching the position or" the pattern elements P1 with respect to the pointer 19, can determine the amount of sidewise move.- ment. When such movement takes place he simply grasps the material with his hands and pulls or pushes it sidewise so as to maintain the desired lateral setting of the material as it goes tothe rotary machine 3.

The die rolls 6 of the rotary machine 3 are I coat to a backing, applying pattern elements of a 13.0 desired thickness to the mix coated backing, and

effective for applying pattern elements P2 between the pattern elements Pl, as shown in Figure 5. The pattern elements P2'are thicker than the'pattern elements P1 and fit exactly therebetween because of the lateral registration afforded by the dip 15. After the material leaves the rotary machine 3 it passes to the calender 5 and thence to the stove for curing.

I have illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1 a drive for the several units comprising a motor 20 operated through a speed reducer 21 to drive a main shaft 22. This'mainshaft is connected to the shafts'of the several drums of the rotary machine and the calenders through bevel gearing 23, the different sets of bevel gears being of such ratios as to insure equal peripheral speeds on the drums of the rotary machines and the calenders.

I have illustrated in the shafts 24 of the two rotary machines couplings 25 whereby the drum of either rotary machine may be advanced or the pattern elements P1 retarded relative to the other. As is well known, the die rolls of a rotary machine are gear connected to the main drum, and therefore an ad- ,vance of one drum relative to the other will effect a corresponding angular adjustment of the .die rolls in the two rotary machines. Further provision is made for independent adjustment of the die rolls, as indicated in Figure 3. This drawing shows a gear 26 on the drum D of one of the rotary machines and a mating gear 27. This gear is in ring form and is secured to the die roll 6 by stud bolts 28. The stud bolts 28 are fastened in the die roll and extend through slots 29 in the ring gear 27. With this arrangement the die roll can be advanced or retarded relative to other die rolls in the same rotary machine or relative to others in the other rotary machine.

Due to the consolidation of the pattern elements first applied with the backing web in calender 4, there is no necessity of squeezing the material last applied excessively in the calender 5 in order to bond the first applied pattern elements to the web. This is advantageous in my process because there is'no necessity for setting up the calender 5 to the extent that the backing web will be injured in an attempt to consolidate the thinner pattern elements to it. I have found that it is not desirable to squeeze the finished web excessively in the calender 5 because of the weakening effect on the base web. Moreover, the pressure must be very great indeed if the whole web is deformed sufliciently to apply pressure on the thinner pattern elementslying intermediate the thicker pattern elements. I prefer, therefore, to consolidate the thinner pattern elements with the base web largelybefore the application of the thicker pattern elements.

The calender 5 effects a final consolidation of the pattern elements with one another and with the backing B. The material produced is of high r15 qaulity and is of a denser character than that obtainable by the molded inlaid process. The machine may be operated at high speed, thereby effecting material economies in production. Since several colors may be applied by the different die 120 rolls, a wide variety of effects may be obtained.

I have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention. It will be understood, however, that it is not limited to the form shown, but may be otherwise embodied or 125 practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying a mix thereafter applying pattern elements of different thickness thereto, the pattern elements of different thickness being applied by different rotary machines.

2. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying to a backing pattern elements of a desired thickness, calendering the material, and thereafter applying other pattern elements of different thick ness.

3. In the method ofmaking inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying to a backing pattern elements of a desired thickness by a rotary machine, thereafter applying other pattern elements of different thickness by a rotary machine, and then calendering the material so as to consolidate the pattern elements with the backing and with oneanother.

4. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying pattern elements in a rotary machine, thereafter applying other pattern elements in another rotary machine, and effecting lateral guiding movement of the material between the machines.

5. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying pattern elements to a backing by a rotary machine, thereafter applying other pattern elements by another rotary machine, maintaining a loop of material between the machines, and guiding the material sidewise at the loop.

6. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying pattern elements to a backing by a rotary machine, calendering the material, thereafter applying pattern elements to the backing by another rotary machine, maintaining a loop of material between the calender and the second rotary machine, and efifecting lateral guiding movement of the material at the loop.

'7. Apparatus for making linoleum or the like, comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines, at least one of which is effective for laying a plurality of colors, means whereby material may be successively fed therethrough, and a common drive means for the several machines.

8. Apparatus 'for making linoleum or the like, comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines each having die rolls, means whereby material may be successively fed through the several rotary machines, and means for adjusting the angular setting of a die roll in one of the rotary comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines each having die rolls, means whereby material may be successively fed through the several rotary machines, and means for advancing or retarding one of the rotary machines relative to the other.

11. Apparatus for making linoleum or the like, comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines, means whereby material may be successively fed therethrough, and means whereby material may be moved laterally between the machines.

12. Apparatus for making linoleum or the like, comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines, means whereby material may be successively fed therethrough, and means between the machines for indicating sidewise movement of the material. 13. Apparatus for making linoleum or the like, 7

comprising a plurality of rotary inlaying machines, and means whereby material may be successively fed therethrough, the last-mentioned means including means for forming a loop or dip of material between the machines.

14. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, having relatively thick and thin pattern elements, the steps consisting in applying the relatively thin pattern elements to a backing, consolidating the relatively thin pattern elements with the backing, thereafter applying relatively thicker pattern elements to the backing, and subsequently consolidating the thicker pattern elements with the backing and with the thinner pattern elements.

15. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like and having a backing with relatively thick and thin pattern elements thereover, the steps consisting in applying the relatively thin pattern elements to a backing, consolidating them therewith, thereafter applying relatively thicker pattern elements to the backing, and subjecting the assemblage to pressure so as to consolidate the thicker pattern elements, but maintaining the pressure below a point where the backing will be weakened.

16. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like and having a backing with relatively thick and thin pattern elements thereover, the steps consisting in applying linoleum mix in desired-thickness to the backing in proper configuration to form a part of the desired pattern, subjecting the same to pressure so as to consolidate it with the backing, thereafter applying linoleum mix between the first mentioned pattern elements so as to form other pattern elements of a different thickness, and subjecting the material to pressure to consolidate the last mentioned pattern elements with the backing.

17. In the method of making inlaid linoleum or the like, the steps consisting in applying material to a backing to form pattern elements of adesired thickness, consolidating the pattern elementswith the backing, and thereafter applying other pattern elements'of different thickness.

JOHN A. PHELAN. 

